‘The Immortal King Rao’ by Vauhini Vara
Vauhini Vara’s debut novel ‘The Immortal King Rao’ is just under 400 pages, but it spans decades—from a humble past in caste-divided India, to an alternate (but vaguely familiar) technological history, to a speculative future under late capitalism.
We meet our protagonist, Athena, daughter of the titular King Rao, who has lived much of her life in isolation from the rest of the world. The world she lives in—our near future—is a dystopia in which there is no concept of the “public.” Instead, it is run by corporations, and every citizen is a “shareholder.” We read of the King’s upbringing in a Dalit family in a coconut grove (inspired by Vara’s own family history), his growing interest in technology, and finally, the emergence of this new, dystopian world.
It is a novel brimming with ideas and one that taps into many of our current anxieties. Where could technological capitalism be taking us? What does “privacy” mean in a world like this? Instead of just being a vision of our future, it also examines our past and present by asking questions about the structures we live in today.
An ambitious and thoughtful novel, this is a highly interesting read by a new writer. We also recommend ‘Sea of Tranquility’ by Emily St John Mandel, and ‘To Paradise’ by Hanya Yanagihara, two other titles that explore similar questions in expansive, unique ways.